Doing nothing is wasting resources

THUMBS UP:

Kicking the can down the road can’t go on forever. The city of Marshall is facing that reality. First it was City Hall now the Aquatic Center — both are showing their age. City Council members and other officials toured the Aquatic Center on Tuesday. Afterwards, at the City Council meeting, Council member Steve Meister said “there’s no question that we need a new pool facility.” He said the facility is losing 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of water a day during the summer. Think about that. Even in a water-rich state like Minnesota, that’s a huge waste of resources. “It’s heated and treated water. The leaks meant wasting other resources too,” Meister said.

Klobuchar is on the clock

THUMBS SIDEWAYS:

Too bad Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been unsuccessful in gaining any meaningful traction in the Democratic field for president. She’s made it to the next debate, but she’s barely making the cut. Hopefully she can make a meaningful impact in the Sept. 12 debate stage that will feature 10 candidates.

Educating drivers on new law

THUMBS UP:

Law enforcement officials in Lyon County are choosing to educate drivers on the new hands-free law by giving out more warnings than citations during the first two weeks. That’s a good strategy. “We’re hoping people continue to make the effort” to keep their cellphones out of their hands while driving,” Marshall Public Safety Director Jim Marshall said. Eventually, however, violators will have to pay.

Recycling now too expensive

THUMBS DOWN:

China, which used to import more than $5.6 billion worth of recyclables from the U.S., is now refusing to take any recycled materials from this country, according to recent reports. That has made a huge impact on communities throughout the U.S., including right here in Lyon County. Lyon County Commissioners faced a harsh reality last week when they chose to reject two recycling program bids because “we can’t afford it.” Now what?